Mail-box.



Patented Oct. 7, I902.

I. FYFE.

IAIL BOX.

(Application filed Sept. 14, 1901) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

{No Model.)

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Patented Oct. 7, I902.

No. 7I0,854.

P. P. I. FYFE.

MAIL BOX.

lApplicltion filed Sept. 14, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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Patented Oct. 7, I902 P. P. l. FYFE.

IAIL BOX.

(No Model.)

(Applimfion filad Sept. 14, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Shoot 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL P. I. FYFE, OF CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA.

MAIL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,854, dated October '7, 1902.

Application filed September 14, 1901. Serial No- 75l3'75. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL P. I. FYFE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Concord, in the county of Oabarrus and State of North Carolina, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Box, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to a box for use by the Post-0flice Department in delivering and collecting mail; and it comprises a structure adapted to be set into the wall of a building, one side of the structure being located at the outside of the building and the other at the inside, so that the postman may deliver or collect mail from the outside of the wall and the occupant of the building post or receive mail from the inside thereof.

This specification is a specific description of one form of the invention, while the claims are definitions of the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a sectional view of the invention on the line 1 1 of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a front or outer end elevation of the invention, and Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 Set Fig. 1.

The apparatus hasa main or exterior cas-- ing a, which is adapted to be set or built into the wall of a building in connection with which it is used. This casing is divided by a horizontal partition a into two compartments, the upper of which is the mail-collecting compartment and the latter of which is the mail-delivery compartment. Within the lower or delivery compartment are arranged two drawers 0 and 0. These drawers fit slidably together, and the drawer Z) has at its inner end a face-plate b, lying against the innor end of the casing to, said face-plate being fastened to the drawer Z), so that by drawing out the face-plate Z) the drawer comes with it.

b is a door in the plate Z), which door may be opened, if desired, independently of the face-plate Z), or the face-plate may be drawn out, carrying with it the door 5 and the drawer Z).

N indicates any suitable latch or catch devices for fastening the parts b and Z). These devices Zr need not comprise a lock unless especially desired.

The drawer c is arranged to be opened at the front end of the casing a, and to this end it is fastened to a face-p ate c, which lies against the front or outer end of the casing a. This face-plate is provided with a plate (2 with a slot therein for facilitating the delivery of the mail into the lower or delivery compartment of the box a.

(Z indicates a permutation-lock which is arranged on a door 0 forming part of the faceplate c, the same as the door Z) on the faceplate Z). The bolt (.Z of the perm utation-lock (Z projects through the bottom of the drawer c, as shown in Fig. 1, and engages against the inner wall of the casing a. This lock (Z serves, therefore, not only to hold the door in closed position, but also to hold the drawer c and face-plate o. By withdrawing the bolt d the door 0 maybe opened independently of the face-plate c and drawer c, or, if desired, all the parts 0, c, and 0 may beopened in unison. The postman in delivering letters and small packages mayinsert them into the box through the slot in the plate 0 without necessitating the operation of the lock d. If, however, large packages are to he delivered, the lock cl should be manipulated and the door 0 thrown open or the entire drawer c, with the attached parts, moved out, so as to facilitate the insertion of the package. By arranging the door Z) so that it may be merely pushed into open position by pressure against the interior side thereof a long mailing-tube may be moved through the box from the front or outer to the inner or rear side thereof.

I provide an electric alarm-bell to show not only the presence of the postman in delivering mail, but also to warn persons of any tampering with the mail-box. This bell is indicated at e and may be of any form desired.

In Fig. 1, findicates the batteryor batteries for operating the bell. v

In Fig. 3 the dotted circles f indicate that two batteries may be employed, if desired, and connected together, said batteries being arranged in the location shown.

f indicates a conducting-track plate which is supported on two frame-beams c within the casing and insulated from said beams, as

shown. This conducting-track plate f is connected with one pole of the battery or batteries f by means of a wire f. The drawer c is constructed of metal, so as to serve as a conductor, and it has a contact-finger c electrically connected therewith, said finger sliding on the track-plate f, so that the drawer c is placed in electrical connection with one pole of the battery f. From the other pole of the battery awire f passes first to the bell e and then to acontact-fingerf, fastened to one of the beams a and normally lying within.

an orifice or opening 0 in the bottom of the drawer 0, so that when the drawer c is moved back into closed position the contact-finger f lies in the orifice c wholly out of engagement with the drawer 0, so that there is no electrical connection between the parts f and c.

01 indicates a star-wheel which is fastened to the spindle of the permutation-lock d to turn therewith.

f indicates a transversely-reciprocal bar mounted in the drawer c directly adjacent to the lock (1 and having springs f engaged therewith to hold it yieldingly in active position. The star-wheel d works against a transverse arm 1 on the bar f so that by the rotation of the star-wheel d in either direction the bar f is given a reciprocating mo- .tion. f indicates a contact finger or plate which is carried on one end of the bar f immediately over the fingerf. Normally the contact-plate f straddlesthe finger f and is out ofcontact therewith. (See Fig. 3.) When, however, the bar f reciprocates, it moves the plate f into and out of contact with the fingerf, and thus closes the circuit of the battery f. Upon the closure of this circuit the bell e is sounded. Further, when the drawer c ismoved out, so that the opening 0 in the drawer is moved away from the finger f, the finger then engages the bottom of the drawer, and electrical connection is established between the finger f and the drawer c. A This also closes the circuit of the battery f and the hell (2 is sounded. Now, therefore, should a person in tampering with the mail-box move the spindle of the lock 11 the bell e is sounded. Further, when the postman arrives to deliver the mail by simply turning the spindle of the lock d the occupants of the house are advised of the postmans presence. Should the postman seek to open the box, he must first release the lock d, and in manipulating the spindle thereof he necessarily sounds the bell. Then the instant that the drawer c is moved from its position of rest the bell is again sounded until the drawer is wholly withdrawn or, in other words, until the contact-finger 0 slides ofi of the track f. When the drawer c is put back into the box, the contact-finger 0 again engages the track fand the finger f again engages the bottom of the drawer c, and

thereupon the circuit of the battery is closed for the insertion of the letter, which has been indicated by dotted lines at h in Fig. 1. Within this compartment is arranged an intermediately-pivoted plate 0 which normally lies in the position indicated by the dotted lines t" in Fig. 1--that is to say, with its inner'or rear end portion up. However, the

weight of a letter falling on the inner end of this plate will throw upward the front end, and this front end carries a sign-board or plate 1' on which is written the word Mail or any other legend indicating the presence of mail-matter within the collecting-compartment of the box. As the sign board or plate t moves up to the position indicated by the dotted lines i this legend becomes visible through an opening g in a door g at the outer endofthecollecting-compartment. The door 9 is provided with a permutation-lock 9 by which it may be held closed. The postman knowing the combination of the lock may readily release it when the sign-board 11* indicates that mail-matter is within the collecting,-compartment.

Various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of my invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I consider myself entitled to all such variations as may lie within the scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a mail-box, the combination of a cas ing, a drawer therein, said drawer being formed of electric conducting material, an electric signal device, a contact forming part of the circuit thereof and normally disengaged from the drawer, the movement of the drawer engaging it with said contact, a trackplate also forming part of the circuit of said signal device, and a contact on the drawer and sliding on the track-plate.

2. In a mail-box, the combination of a casing, a drawer therein, a face-plate attached to the drawer, a door on the face-plate, a lock on the door, a contact device connected with the lock to be operated therefrom, an electrically operated signal device, a contact forming part of the circuit of said signal device, the contact device of the lock, a trackplate also forming part of the circuit of the signal device, and a contact in electrical connection with the contact of the lock, said lastnamed contact running on the track.

.3. The combination of a casing, a drawer therein of electric conducting material, said drawer having a recess therein, a look, a contact device actuated from the lock and lying over the recess, a contact-finger normally opposite the recess to coact with the contact device of the lock, an electric signal of the circuit of which the said contact-finger forms a part, a conducting-slide mounted stationary with respect to the drawer, and a contact insulated from and moving with the drawer, said contact running on the slide and forming part of the circuit of said electric signal.

at. The combination of a casing, a drawer therein, a lock having a rotary spindle, a starwheel placed on said spindle, an electric signal, and a contact device controlling said signal and comprising a reciprocal bar provided with a lateral arm engaged with the starwheel.

5. The combination of a casing, a drawer therein, a lock having a rotary spindle, a starwheel placed on said spindle, an electric signal, a contact device controlling said signal and com prising a reciprocal bar provided with a lateral arm engaged with the star'wheel, bearings on the drawer in which the bar is mounted, and springs pressing between the bearings and said arm of the bar to hold it yieldingly in inactive position.

(3. The combination of a drawer mounted to slide, an electric signal, a contact forming part of the circuit thereof and normally disengaged from the drawer, the drawer being capable of conducting electricity, a contact in connection with the drawer, and a conductor-track stationary with respect to the drawer and forming part of the circuit of the said signal, the contact of the drawer sliding on the conductor-track during the movement of the drawer.

7. The combination of a drawer mounted to slide, said drawer having an opening there in, an electric signal, a contact forming part of the circuit thereof, said contact lying normally in the opening of the drawer and therefore out of contact with the drawer, the said drawer being capable of conducting electricity, a contact attached to the drawer, and a conductor-track on which the latter contact slides as the drawer moves, said conductortrack also forming part of the said electric signal.

S. The combination of a drawer mounted to slide, a lock on the drawer, a contact device actuated by the lock and in electrical connection with the drawer, said drawer bein g capable of conductingelectricity and having an opening therein adjacent to the contact device of the lock, an electric signal, a second contact forming part of the circuit thereof and lying opposite the opening in the drawer and adapted to coact with the first contact when the lock is manipulated, a conductor-track also forming part of the circuit of the electric signal, and a third contact on the drawer, the third contact bearing on the conductor-track. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PAUL P. I. FYFE.

\Vitnesses:

CLEMENT L. MCGALLA, THEo. H. MOCALLA. 

